Baby: Baby Heartbeat
A baby heartbeat is something that all mothers look forward to hearing as they move through the stages of pregnancy. In every fetus, a primitive heart begins beating around the sixth week of pregnancy, but a babys heartbeat is not detectable until around week twelve. Once the twelfth week mark is reached, a doctor will begin to monitor the unborn babys heart rate as a way to ensure she continues to be healthy.
Analyzing a Baby Heartbeat
The rate of the baby heartbeat indicates whether or not the childs heart is receiving an adequate flow of blood and oxygen. The average fetal heart rate is 140 beats per minute, but anywhere between 110 and 160 beats per minute is considered normal. An above or below average heart rate does not necessarily mean that there is something wrong with the fetus; other tests are needed to confirm that. However, an abnormal baby heartbeat can be an early warning sign of problems to come, giving physicians a head start to help ensure the health of the baby.
Physicians have a number of ways to monitor the heart rate of an unborn fetus. One of the most popular of these options is the doppler ultrasound. Doppler ultrasounds send low-level sound waves through the skin and tissue of the mothers abdomen, toward the uterus. When these sound waves encounter other sounds in the womb, the babys heartbeat, for example, they bounce back to the monitor and are translated into an audible heartbeat sound.
Many mothers-to-be find listening to their childs heartbeat to be an immensely comforting and even blissful experience. For this reason, there has been steadily increasing demand for a home doppler system from women to listen to their childs heartbeat at any time, not just when they are at their doctors office. Many businesses are now offering easy to use, low cost doppler ultrasounds that can be used effectively at home, providing many women with the peace of mind that comes from knowing their unborn babies are healthy and happy.